Just another day at the office for J.J. Yeley and Vigoro/Home Depot race team at Dover

Event: Dover 200
Date: September 23, 2006
Start: 26th
Finish: 9th

Race Review

Dover, Delaware (September 24, 2006) – In a scene becoming very familiar this year, J.J. Yeley and his Vigoro / Home Depot race team scored a top-ten finish, securing the ninth-place position at Dover International Speedway on Saturday. The result was Yeley’s 18th top-ten finish of 2006 in 29 events. “We started in the middle of the pack and we made some good gains on our car during the race,” said Yeley. “We just need to start a little closer to the front and have a car capable of running in the top five from the outset of the race. That’s when we’ll have a legitimate shot at winning one of these things. And that’s still our number one goal this year.”

Yeley started back in 26th on Saturday, and the day’s first caution was displayed on Lap 9. Yeley reported that he was extremely tight in the center of the corner. Since he had only moved up to the 24th position, crew chief Jason Ratcliff elected to pit and take two rubbers out of the left-rear spring. The team also made an adjustment to the trackbar, and Yeley restarted in 30th on Lap 13.

The changes made a significant difference in the handling of the team’s Vigoro / Home Depot Chevrolet, and Yeley marched his way up to 22nd when another caution slowed the field at Lap 19. Yeley stayed on the track with the rest of the leaders, and reported that the car was pretty stable.

The green flag was displayed on Lap 23, and Yeley tore through the field over the next 30 laps. At a caution on Lap 57, Yeley was running 11th. “We are pretty good in the center,” said Yeley. “Maybe just a little tight in the center of the corner, but I am very tight off the corner now.” Ratcliff and the Vigoro / Home Depot pit crew changed all four tires and took another rubber out of the left-rear spring. Nine cars elected to stay on the track, and Yeley left the pits in 21st.

But Yeley would not stay there for long. He methodically worked his way back to the 12th position when a caution on Lap 118 gave the leaders their final opportunity to work on their race cars. The Vigoro / Home Depot team changed all four tires and made a wedge adjustment to go to the end. The quick work by the crew put Yeley out on the track in ninth, the first time all day Yeley had been in the top 10.

The race restarted on Lap 125 and Yeley finally passed Jason Leffler for eighth on Lap 150 and Todd Kleuver for seventh on Lap 152. In the closing laps Yeley felt he had a tire going down, and Leffler and Greg Biffle were able to shuffle Yeley back to ninth at the checkered flag.

After tallying up the NASCAR Busch Series points, Yeley is still fifth, but he is closer to the driver in second (Carl Edwards, 230 ahead of Yeley) than he is to his closest pursuer (Paul Menard in sixth, 287 behind Yeley). The next Busch Series race will be at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, September 30th. The race will be televised live on TNT at 3:00 PM EST.